Category: Encouragement

Hey, it’s been a while. I honestly just temporarily ran out of inspiration & positive encouragement. I have to brainstorm some more but haven’t gotten around to it- maybe I’m only wise to a certain point. I am only 22 years old, after all. Haha!

Anyways, I thought I’d share a little bit of information about my memoir I’m currently working on. It has definitely just started, I’m nowhere near finished but it’s a start. I thought I’d share my thoughts on it, the subject matter & why I write what I’m writing about.

So why do I write?

Well, because I want others to understand and have more knowledge about topics such as abuse that’s not physical or sexual, bullying, sexual harassment, eating disorders & mental health. I want to help people be in the know- so they understand what someone going through these things are dealing with, how traumatic it really is & why they react certain ways because of what they’ve been through.

So they can learn that not all abuse is physical or sexual & that what someone who has suffered through these types of things isn’t easy or any less hurtful, harmful or traumatic just because someone else has “suffered worse than you have” & that their feelings and struggles are valid. That what you’ve suffered through is incredibly hard, more than tough & you suffered.

That if someone thinks you haven’t had it as bad as someone else, not to listen to them. Trauma is trauma and it’s important to not compare to other’s trauma- that makes your struggles feel less than they really are and that’s not true at all. It’s a good step of healing when you recognize that.

I want people to know that & I want people to know you are not alone. That someone goes through these things too & that it’s gonna be ok. You’ll be just fine. You will survive this battle & escape that hell hole- which could even just be your mind- and live again! Healing is possible, I promise. It’s tough and incredibly challenging but it is worth it, so don’t give up!

I want everyone to know this: you’ve survived what were your worst days- days you didn’t think you’d make it through- and you’re still here, strong as ever. You can survive this too.

You are not a mistake. Sometimes I still have suicidal thoughts. Sometimes it lasts for weeks, sometimes it lasts for a day. But it’s there, nonetheless. And I’m still here. And I couldn’t be more proud of myself. But sometimes I’m not proud of myself. It’s confusing. Depression is strange. It can last for a day or months, and often times years. It’s there because of situations that go wrong, feelings and thoughts that go spiraling down.

For me, I start getting depressed, feeling like hurting myself and sometimes get suicidal thoughts if I feel rejected. That’s just a pattern that I’ve noticed. That’s usually how it starts for me. If someone doesn’t want to be my friend anymore, or, in the past before I met my husband, if a boy doesn’t want to date me.

To some these things may seem petty. People have told me that hurting myself over a boy is stupid, that no one is that ridiculous. But that’s not true. Hurting yourself and having suicidal thoughts is no joke. It’s scary and your reason for it may not make sense to some people. But it makes sense to me because I’ve been there, and I understand. The smallest of things would set me off. Things that build up over time. Things that seem petty. And when that final straw hits, the best thing you can do is reach out for help. Help is here for you. You are going to be okay. I know it’s tough. I know you don’t want to reach out, but you were put on this earth for a reason. You are not an accident. You are not a mistake. Please know that you are so so loved.

At the end of the day, you’re human. You make mistakes and that’s ok. Just learn from them. You are blooming and becoming and growing so much.

It’s ok. It’s ok to take time for yourself. Take time to just be. Relax and enjoy the life you have. The little moments. The big moments. The struggles and successes. Celebrate all you’ve done, the good and the bad. Because that bad stuff? It’s shaped you into who you are. It’s something you can learn from, and it’s something you can grow from.

This life you’ve got is not going to be perfect. And it doesn’t have to be.

Maybe you saved a bee from being squished or you graduated college. Both are great accomplishments. Small or big, they are accomplishments nonetheless. Maybe you had a really hard day and you got out of bed, even if it was brief. That’s a great accomplishment. Maybe you had a really hard day and you didn’t get out of bed. That’s ok, you’re doing great.

You may be a work in progress but you’re a wonderful work in progress.

It’s ok not to be ok. You may never be ok and that’s totally fine. But be happy, please try. That’s all I ask of you. Even if it’s small, be happy.

You’ll be just fine. I believe in you. All that’s left is for you to believe in yourself.

In high school, there was someone who I had a huge crush on. One day I asked him if he would date me.

He said, “I would date you if I didn’t already have a girlfriend.”

One year later he was single. So I asked him again if he would date me. He said, “No. We should remain friends.”

Almost immediately after I called my dad, even though school was still in session. I told him, “Dad, I need you to come pick me up right now. I’m going to kill myself and I need to go to the hospital before I do.”

He dropped everything and got to my school in about 40 minutes.

I was at the psych ward in the hospital for a week. I was back at school by Monday. I was embarrassed because the guy I had a crush on probably thought I was a coward. He probably thought I was hiding from him. But he didn’t know the situation.

He didn’t know I struggle with self-harm, that I have struggled since I was 11. He didn’t know I was suicidal. He didn’t know I felt betrayed, and lying about wanting to date me would push me over the edge. He didn’t know how close I was to killing myself. He didn’t know.

He didn’t know that I was actually very brave. He didn’t know I reached out for help. He didn’t know how strong I was, and that it took everything in me to admit I needed to go to the hospital. He didn’t know that I didn’t want help, but there was a tiny part of me, the smallest part of me that knew I needed help.

He doesn’t know I’m married now. He doesn’t know I no longer struggle with self-harm or suicidal thoughts and actions. He doesn’t know that God saved my life. He doesn’t know that the last time I wanted to kill myself I was 19 and I had a thorough plan, but my husband (boyfriend at the time) found out and talked me out of it for over 5 hours, straight. He doesn’t know that the only reason my husband found out was because I reached out for help.

Life is so worth living. Life is full of ups and downs but it doesn’t have to be perfect for you to be happy. Life is rewarding in so many ways. There is hope, there is love, there is so many people who care for you. When you’re depressed it’s really hard to see that, but it’s true.

You are brave, you are strong, you are brilliant, you are loving and worthy of love. You are hardship, you are strength, you are courage. You are a warrior, one who has survived battle after battle. You will survive this battle too. So don’t give up. Reach out. Help is here for you.

Hi! Happy June! It’s June right? Time just kind of flew by. How is everyone? I’ve been pretty absent on here lately.

Well, today I want to talk about this quote I rediscovered today. I first found it around this time last year, and it goes like this:

“This is your world. Shape it or someone else will.”

This quote can mean a lot of things. I feel like people can interpret it a bunch of different ways. But this is how I interpret it:

The first thing I think about is the abuse I suffered and how much my abuser controlled me, whether it be manipulation with her words or how my thinking patterns changed. Because she controlled so much of my life, my life basically revolved around her, i.e., anything and everything I did was to make her happy instead of angry. Granted, she got angry anyways because she always found something to be mad about.

But my point is this: I let her shape my world. She controlled my world with fear, manipulation, anger, etc. I was becoming “the backlash of somebody’s lack of love” (a quote from the song “Brave” by Sara Bareilles). I started to get angry, really angry. I don’t think I lashed out at anyone a lot, most of the time I’d take it out on myself.

I always put her first, and I’d try to the best of my ability to treat her with kindness and love, even though she didn’t treat me that way. And yet I was still called selfish. All the time. I can count four times where I’d snapped at her when I lost control of my anger towards her and my ability to think before I speak, but directly after I’d stay quiet until I knew I could only speak kindly to her to the best of my ability. Because as the saying goes, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.”

My thinking patterns changed a lot. I had always kind of been the person to put others first and had difficulty saying “no” most of the time. I said “sorry” a lot. All that stuff. But over those five long years of living with her I’d taken all this to the extreme. After being called “selfish” and “annoying” a lot (when I was just trying to be nice), I began to apologize even more, for everything, things I didn’t do because I didn’t want to be selfish so I figured if I could somehow be the one whose to blame, all the time, I won’t be selfish any of the time. If I never tell someone “no” then I’m never selfish because I’m not putting myself first ever and if I let them do whatever they want, then they won’t be mad or upset at me.

On January 1st, 2015 I had a breakdown. After using this “no selfish rule” for most of my life I had finally reached my breaking point. It was super difficult but I managed to talk it out to a few people, and we all decided to work on it together. I would work on putting myself first, saying “no” and to only be sorry when it’s appropriate, and they would help me. I was scared. I still am. But it’s progress.

My boyfriend is constantly reminding me that she’s out of my life now and I don’t have to let her control me. That’s a reminder I think everyone should have.

The second thing I think about, which should probably be first, is God. If you focus on people, and letting them take control over your life, your thoughts, etc. then maybe you aren’t putting God first and letting him take the reins of your life. He has the best plan for you. You may not see it yet and you may go through obstacles. But those obstacles you’re going through? You can handle them with God by your side. God never gives you something you can’t handle.

Walk by faith, not by sight. Let your faith be bigger than your fears.

What does that quote make you think of? The first thing that comes to mind? I’d love to listen and discuss it with you!

Don’t forget to stay strong and courageous! Have the most wonderful June yet!